Using Irregular Channels to Find More Talent

Talent. We all need it, and we all want the best people we can get for our business. It’s not just about protecting the future of your organization by ensuring it’s full of good, motivated people. Getting great talent in through the doors also demonstrates to your existing teams that you’re dynamic, always looking to improve set-up. It’s great for morale and for keeping positive culture going.

But there is a demand out there for the best. Everyone is fishing in the same pool, often for just a few talented candidates who have the particular skills you need. Procurement teams putting out job ads on LinkedIn or local job board sites will probably get plenty of interest right now. But how strong are those applications and are you sure that’s the biggest net you can use to scoop up the best people? What about everyone who’s gainfully employed who isn’t even looking at these ads?

This coronavirus has meant we’ve all had to think differently about recruitment, and getting people in through the door face to face hasn’t recently been the right or safe approach. Thinking outside the box, opening up your recruitment channels and trying out something new to reinforce just how great it is to work at your organization is definitely the new normal.

The top talent getters will use several channels, including the more obvious job boards, social media sites, and their corporate websites to get candidates lined up for video interviews. But what about employee referrals? Are you making the most of this program at your company right now? What better way to extol the virtues of your organization than by getting your existing people to share their great experiences of working for you?

Most top companies offer financial or other benefits to encourage referrals, which can all be done online. Benefits and rewards can be triggered and cashed in by the employee when the new talent accepts the job and/or stays with you for three months. It’s an excellent way for your existing procurement team members to feel valued and that they are contributing to your future success.

Candidate rediscovery is another useful, more irregular way of getting the right people in for the right job. Essentially, it’s an AI way of matching candidates who have expressed an interest in your organization before with relevant new roles. Maybe they had the right skills, but the role wasn’t right. Don’t waste all that data—your gem may be closer than you think.

How about a more direct, ‘straight into your target’s inbox’ approach? You likely already have an email list of people who signed up to hear more about your company or who are already on your talent radar. Letting them know directly there’s a position available does wonders for your brand reputation, you’ll appear on top of your recruitment and confident in what you’re offering as a business.

Social media should still be central to your recruitment but think about the sites your potential candidates like to frequent. Snapchat, YouTube, even Slack’s public pages are perhaps more unconventional places to look for talent. If you can, ask your leaders to ‘”jobcast” too—posting video job ads featuring your CEO and senior board members can be extremely engaging.

It’s vital to ask yourself what’s your Employee Value Proposition. The balance of rewards and benefits employees get in return for all their hard work is so important.

It’s not just about showing them the money. Talented people want to work for a cause or a direction they can believe in, at a place they can enjoy and feel like they are making a difference. Get that right, and you’ll have them knocking at your door.